Roger Lee Fierst, 87, husband of the late Ann Kathryn Fierst, passed away on Friday, May 1st, 2026, in Ellettsville, Indiana. Born September 27, 1938, in Evansville, he was the son of Glenn and Pauline (Pfeffer) Fierst of Huntingburg. He married Ann Overbeck on August 13, 1961, at Salem United Church of Christ.
Roger was a 1956 graduate of Huntingburg High School. He played for the Happy Hunters in football, basketball, and baseball. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Indiana State Teachers College in Terre Haute. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, first vice-president of the Social Studies Club, a member of the Parsons Hall Council, and served on the Prom Committee (with his fiancée Ann Overbeck).
After receiving his undergraduate degree, he was a faculty member and basketball coach at Clay City High School. He worked for the Pike Township school district in Indianapolis from 1963 to 1968, where he was president of the Classroom Teachers Association. While working for Pike Township, Roger also served as president of the Zionsville Jaycees. He was a founding member of Pike Credit Union. From 1968 to 1994 he was employed by the Indiana State Teachers Association, where he served as an executive director for over 20 years.
Roger lived with his family in Newburgh, Indiana, from 1968 to 1973, where he served as a deacon at Newburgh Presbyterian Church.
The family made their final move to Bloomington, Indiana, in 1973. His two sons are graduates of Bloomington High School South, and his four grandchildren were students at Bloomington North. Roger was a member of Bloomington Rotary for 25 years and was a founding member of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education. Roger and his wife Ann were entrepreneurs and co-owners of Fierst Rentals LLC, Showers Inn Real Estate, and Apple Tree Cleaning Company, all in Bloomington. Roger will be remembered for his dedication to local communities and public education in the state of Indiana.
Roger is survived by his sons Michael Fierst (Karen Scheller) and Daniel Fierst (Clara Garcia Aguerrevere), all of Bloomington; a brother, David (Bethany) Fierst of Dayton, Ohio; four grandchildren, Diego and Pablo Fierst Garcia, and Miles and Maia Fierst; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Roger was preceded in death by Ann, his wife of 64 years; his parents; his older brother Glenn (Anne) Fierst, and an infant son, Karl Fierst.
Visitation will be held on Friday, May 15th, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST at Nass & Son Funeral Home (208 Main Street in Huntingburg). A service will be held at 12 p.m., with burial following at Fairmount Cemetery in Huntingburg.
Condolences may be shared online at www.nassandson.com.
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